Melchizedek

[Dennis1209]

I don't know about you, but I've always wondered about the mystery of Melchizedek? I've studied the subject, along with the three main views of who he was, and read many commentaries. I read an excellent two part article on the website "Rapture Ready", that goes into great detail and is well researched. It's a two part lengthily commentary and well worth the time. The link below is for part two, so if you are interested, don't forget to read part one first.

The Mysterious, Mesmerizing Melchizedek, Part II :: By Randy Nettles - Rapture Ready 

One thing if I understood correctly in Part II, the author states Abraham died before Shem. To be brief, without providing the dates, etc.; my research and notes document Shem out lived Abraham. I'm old now and senility seems to be settling in these days. Am I correct Shem out lived Abraham? If not, I have a bunch of notes I need to go back to and change. 

[other one]

18 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

I don't know about you, but I've always wondered about the mystery of Melchizedek? I've studied the subject, along with the three main views of who he was, and read many commentaries. I read an excellent two part article on the website "Rapture Ready", that goes into great detail and is well researched. It's a two part lengthily commentary and well worth the time. The link below is for part two, so if you are interested, don't forget to read part one first.

The Mysterious, Mesmerizing Melchizedek, Part II :: By Randy Nettles - Rapture Ready 

One thing if I understood correctly in Part II, the author states Abraham died before Shem. To be brief, without providing the dates, etc.; my research and notes document Shem out lived Abraham. I'm old now and senility seems to be settling in these days. Am I correct Shem out lived Abraham? If not, I have a bunch of notes I need to go back to and change. 

According to the begats and deaths, Shem lived 35 years longer than Abraham....     Interestingly Abraham was 58 years old when Noah died.

[teddyv]

I read an interesting article that is unfortunately not available anymore. It was suggesting that the Mel narrative looked like an interpolation.

[other one]

9 hours ago, teddyv said:

I read an interesting article that is unfortunately not available anymore. It was suggesting that the Mel narrative looked like an interpolation.

Well, it's just a thought that has run around and stuck in my head that Melchizedek was one of the Watcher Angels that actually did his job here and stayed connected to Jesus and the Father.      Kind of fills in all the gaps...    but it's just a thought that seems to have been possible enough to me to keep around.

[Dennis1209]

9 hours ago, other one said:

According to the begats and deaths, Shem lived 35 years longer than Abraham....     Interestingly Abraham was 58 years old when Noah died.

Yes, those are the figures I came to also. I need to be careful these days with my comments and statements, as I'm getting not to trust my memory.

Quote: "Interestingly Abraham was 58 years old when Noah died." 

I've pondered on some of these things myself. Such as the first eight generations that were born and alive when Adam was still living. They didn't have the Bible, did all the genealogies from Adam & Eve to Lamech know they were the offspring of the first created man? 

It's interesting to reflect on Adam; he was created with the appearance of age, his very first day he was an adult, not a new born baby suckling. Evidently, Adam was created with instantaneous knowledge, as one of the first things he did was name all the animals. To do so, one has to have knowledge, a language and vocabulary; thereby indicating the ability for the written word. 

If Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament; did he obtain his historical information directly inspired from God Himself, or was there a written original record from the patriarchs he used?

If you knew you were only generations removed from the first created being, would they or you not have a million questions you would like to have answers to. Maybe seek out and find this first created being and meet him? Same could be said with the apostle John's disciples Polycarp and Irenaeus. Would it not be natural and inquisitive to want to pick someone's brain for additional information and personal thoughts? 

[other one]

12 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

If Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament; did he obtain his historical information directly inspired from God Himself, or was there a written original record from the patriarchs he used?

Moses was born about 300 years after Joseph died.   Who knows what Joseph left recorded considering his position.

[other one]

20 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

To do so, one has to have knowledge, a language and vocabulary; thereby indicating the ability for the written word. 

I believe the language that Adam had was the pre-babel language before God scrambled everything.    I have often wondered if that is the built in hard wired language that the Apostles used that let everyone know what they were saying.   They understood without understanding how or why.

Anyway just a thought

[Dennis1209]

19 minutes ago, other one said:

I believe the language that Adam had was the pre-babel language before God scrambled everything.    I have often wondered if that is the built in hard wired language that the Apostles used that let everyone know what they were saying.   They understood without understanding how or why.

Anyway just a thought

That's one of my thoughts also. But still, to preserve something from generation to generation accurately, a written record is needed. Unless oral tradition is used like the Jews and Native Americans. But that's like lining up 20 people, whispering something to the first person to pass down one at a time to the 20th person. Then seeing the difference from what was told the first person, generally it would be unrecognizable unless specially trained. 

[other one]

3 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

That's one of my thoughts also. But still, to preserve something from generation to generation accurately, a written record is needed. Unless oral tradition is used like the Jews and Native Americans. But that's like lining up 20 people, whispering something to the first person to pass down one at a time to the 20th person. Then seeing the difference from what was told the first person, generally it would be unrecognizable unless specially trained. 

I can't speak for the Jews, but the Native Americans would not fit into the whispering thing.   The story tellers repeated all the storied in public with everyone listening and if the stories changed people would stop them and tell them about it.    That game doesn't work when the person who spoke to you listens to what you told the next guy/gal.   He would simply say, "Hey Dude/Dudette that's not what I said."

[Alive]

Because of entropy entering the world, I have often wondered whether or not the early generations were far more capable than we are.

Smarter, better memories and generally more robust in mind and body.